Concealed Carry State Laws In New Jersey

Concealed carry laws, or CCW’s, in New Jersey refers to the legally issued permit which allows for the carrying of a handgun or other weapon in a concealed manner within any place open to the general public.

Not all weapons that fall under concealed carry state laws in New Jersey are lethal, there are some states that regulate non-lethal items such a pepper spray that are carried over a set volume requiring the obtaining of a CCW permit. (In some states non-lethal items require a separate permit)

Every State's Concealed Carry Laws Are Unique In New Jersey

While in New Jersey there is no current federal law that specifically address the issuance of concealed carry permits for private citizens as each state is responsible for the control of concealed carry permits within its sovereign borders. All 50 states have passed laws allowing their respective residents to carry certain concealed firearms in public, either without a permit or after obtaining a permit from their local Sheriff’s office or Chief of police.

In all states and in New Jersey the only federal law concerning CCW’s is the Peace Officer Safety Act of 2004, (H.R. 218) to lean about this and all other states Concealed Carry Laws see our database on our website US Precision Defense where we maintain a comprehensive listing of every States weapons laws.

New Jersey operates as a May Issue state, offering concealed carry permits to both residents and non-residents. New Jersey does not honor any other CCW permits or licenses from other states. New Jersey is one of the five states in the US that does not have a constitutional amendment that protects a resident’s right to bear arms.

For obtaining a CCW permit an individual must demonstrate a need to carry, applicants for a concealed carry permit must also demonstrate a familiarity with firearms and provide three references who have personally known the applicant for at least three years. Application for a CCW permit is made through local police departments and the permits are then issued by a state superior court judge.

Interestingly New Jersey does NOT have reciprocity agreements with any other state in the country, and even with this anti-gun and anti-second amendment position the following states will accept New Jersey CCW permits in their state; Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont.

New Jersey is not a traditional open carry state. Actually, carrying openly or “open carry” will get you arrested! However, should you be wealthy or connected enough to get one of the rare New Jersey handgun CCW permits, New Jersey law makes no distinction between open and or concealed carry. However, the status of the state’s preemption law would make this a dangerous proposition. New Jersey is one of the top 5 most restrictive gun rights states in the country.

Whenever the liberals in New Jersey talk of gun control it just adds to the problem, as many in New Jersey shrug at the often fruitless efforts by lawmakers in New Jersey and other states such as Maryland and Connecticut who pass sweeping laws aimed at curbing gun violence. Sometimes, they argue, it's about changing a mindset rather than just the laws. How about the mindset of criminals who know they are the only ones with guns and that the victims are defenseless as the state took away their right to bear arms.

Look at Camden New Jersey where the states strict gun control laws have little or no effect, they are plagued with gun violence where poverty and crime feed an enduring and bloody cycle. The reason, only the CRIMINALS have guns, citizens are defenseless! And what does the New Jersey legislature want to do, pass more gun control laws that Do Not Work?

US Precision Defense offers a complete on-line store and a members only section with how to reports and videos.

Don’t travel through New Jersey with a firearm even if you own them legally; a U.S. veteran and former police officer is now serving 3-5 years in a New Jersey prison for possession of firearms that he legally owned. As a result of the extreme and unjust New Jersey gun laws, the former officer was convicted of illegal possession of firearms as he was passing through the state. This individual is not from New Jersey. He was actually moving from Maine to Texas and was driving through New Jersey when he parked his car in a parking lot to rest for the night. The man was awakened in the night by police officers who searched his vehicle without a warrant. This unwarranted search was deemed justified because the officer saw two gun cases in the back of the vehicle. The man was transporting his entire gun collection that day and was arrested immediately. (Apparently the arresting officers needed to keep their stats up that week.)

Even in New Jersey there is such a thing as officer discretion.

Apparently they need to teach an ethics class as part of the New Jersey police academy curriculum, whatever happened to enforcing to the spirit of the law as opposed to the letter of the law? Under the Firearm Owners Protection Act, citizens are actually allowed to transport firearms from state to state regardless of the legality of the guns between departure point and destination. For full protection under this act, however, citizens must keep their firearms locked in either the trunk or a case.

In 2013 a bill which gun advocates were in favor of and did pass the legislature, it would have allowed gun owners to transport firearms to and from a firing range to make stops for specific purposes such as purchasing gasoline, using a restroom or dealing with an emergency situation. Gun advocates said this bill is needed because owners have been arrested and jailed for hyper-technical violations. Clearly New-Jersey and the liberals in the state legislature are as about anti-gun as it gets, if not very careful the citizens in the state will lose all of their second amendment rights.

US Precision Defense has a full listing of every states gun laws and information specific to women shooters.

U.S. Precision Defense assumes no liability and is not responsible for the actions of its members or readers of this website. The materials provided here are the opinions of the authors, are intended solely for education purposes, and should not be relied on for legal or professional advice. Laws relating to firearms and the use of deadly force vary from state to state, and each individual is responsible for compliance with the laws of each jurisdiction. If legal or other professional advice is needed, consult a lawyer or other professionals. All materials on this website are copyrighted to U.S. Precision Defense and may not be republished without permission from U.S. Precision Defense.